Dhaka, Oct. 3 -- The number of Bangladeshi workers who headed to the Middle East countries in search of jobs surged 177 per cent year-on-year in the first eight months of this year. The opening of the doors following the recovery of the oil-rich nations from the Covid-19 pandemic and a higher income thanks to a spike in energy prices owing to the Russia-Ukraine war have boosted the economic activities in the region and lifted the demand for foreign workers.

The energy price hike, which saw the oil price rocket to an eight-year high, has been credited to have pulled the Gulf countries out of a decade-long economic slump. Crude oil prices plummeted to as low as $20 a barrel at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, but it climbed above $10...